Luis: No, my parents have nothing to do with fashion. They’re not involved in the creative industry at all. I’ve been interested in creative things since I was about 10, 11, 12. It all really started through skating. Because when I was 12, I went to a skate camp and learned how to do screen printing there. Then I went home, bought myself a screen-printing machine, and started screen printing every day. I sold the shirts at the skatepark and at school, and that’s kind of how I got into making my own clothes. Even though my parents have nothing to do with the fashion industry and didn’t really understand any of it, they supported me from the very beginning.

Luis: When I finished school, I had about a year to test whether it would work out. If not, I would have gone to university. I was kind of lucky that it worked somehow. Though I have to say, the first drops weren’t really successful at all. I couldn’t even afford the production. But eventually, I had my first pair of pants that did well. With that money, everything really started to take off, and since then I’ve been working with production and built up a team. But it took a few years. I finished school at 18, and it took about two years until someone bought my pants and not just my T-shirts.

Luis: Yes, that was always in my head. And if I have something in my head, I’m going to follow through with it. Even when I didn’t sell anything at the beginning, it was always Plan A. And it still is to this day. I’ve never thought about anything else.

Luis: Usually it actually works pretty well. Of course, there are moments when we don’t agree, but at the end of the day I’m glad the team is very small and really just my brother and my best friend. Especially when it comes to trust, I’m really grateful that they’re involved. It’s not always easy, but generally we get along really well.

Luis: The creative part mostly happens in our studio in Paris. I’m there all the time with my best friend and one more person. So in the creative area, it’s really just three of us. But most of it actually happens more in the evenings. During the day it’s always tricky – you’re dealing with all the other things that still need to get done. But in the evening, that’s when the creativity kicks in, and we listen to a lot of music. Sade is definitely right at the top. But yeah, I’d definitely say we’re more creative at night.

Luis: I have to say, Paris is of course super professional and very stylish. That’s also a big difference compared to Berlin. In Paris, everything feels a bit more timeless. And that’s what we want to translate into our clothes too – that everything becomes a bit timeless, so you can combine pieces season after season. And that it’s not just loud and aggressive. I think Paris has definitely shown us that. Although I have to say, I don’t really go out much myself. I’m basically only in the studio, working on my stuff, and I don’t really experience that much of the city. I’m locked in the studio, so honestly I don’t feel a big difference whether I’m in Paris or in the Eifel. 

Luis: Anyone can wear it if they feel like it. If you think it’s cool or you vibe with it, then it doesn’t matter. 

Leon: And it’s not even a political statement you’re trying to make. It’s just common sense.

Luis: We definitely don’t exclude anyone. We’re here, we’re open to everyone. You can also see that at our pop-ups – there’s always a very mixed crowd, and that’s something I really like about it. Everyone is welcome.

Luis: Of course, it’s not always easy. Sometimes you sit here for a few days without coming up with the greatest idea. I think the pressure is naturally high because we’re such a small team, and I handle the creative part completely together with my best friend. And sometimes you realize: how are we supposed to put together a collection of 50 pieces again in just two or three months? I think the pressure comes from the whole picture, not just the creative process. Because we also manage all the production ourselves. Any other brand would have already hired like 20 people, but we’re still doing it on our own. And I think the best ideas usually come when you least expect them.

Leon: Two years ago, we just got in touch with PUMA, and during that time we actually talked to a lot of different people. We had a call with PUMA, and then we drove to Herzogenaurach to see everything, and I think the vibe there was just the best. We realized that we had by far the most creative freedom with them. They basically told us to do whatever we feel like doing. And the brand’s aesthetic just matched. PUMA has done a lot of things right over the past two or three years. We also definitely wanted to stay with a German brand, and with them it just felt the best.

Luis: There you really had a big opportunity to do your own thing. And you don’t get that with other brands. Plus, for me PUMA has always been kind of the underdog and I always liked that. So PUMA definitely felt the best. It’s a great team, very family-like. And that’s the most important thing for us.

Leon: We’re also a small, young team, and I think working with us isn’t always the easiest. But they were super understanding, like if you forget to send an email, but then just sort it out quickly over WhatsApp, they were totally fine with that.

The only restriction was that we couldn’t change the sole. But otherwise, we were really allowed to do anything. We could pick the color, and we could completely redesign the upper. To be able to reconstruct everything in a first collab is usually not possible. Many people didn’t even recognize the original shoe. It’s a model PUMA had already released in the early 2000s. Back then, it came more in neon colors like neon yellow or neon orange, and since our target group prefers more of an all-black look, it was immediately clear to us what color we had to go with. Even with all the campaign images and the video, we were allowed to do whatever we wanted. I think with other brands, it would have been a totally different story.

Leon: On our webstore it sold out in just two minutes. That’s pretty crazy.

Luis: Yeah, that’s just an amazing feeling, really crazy. When you think about it – back then we used to fight to get sneakers, and now we have our own collab with such a big partner, and it sells out right away. That’s of course also a great sign for PUMA. And there’s still something in the pipeline for next year.

Leon: I also find it kind of special because with all these brand collabs nowadays, you don’t really see that kind of hype anymore. You can basically buy almost any shoe months later in stores. So I expected the shoe to be sold out on our website – even if maybe I didn’t expect it to be in just two minutes – but the fact that every wholesaler sold out on the first day, that’s something that basically doesn’t happen anymore. And now you already see StockX prices around 400 dollars, and on Goat they’re asking a thousand euros for immediate shipping. In our niche, unless there’s some huge celebrity behind it, that’s really not common anymore.

Luis: Well, I think when I’m older, I’ll definitely be here in the Eifel. Maybe also in Cologne. I really like Cologne. I don’t need the big, big city. I want to be where my friends and my family are. So in the long run, I definitely see myself in the Eifel or in Cologne. It’s cool to have my studio in Paris and to go there regularly. But I definitely don’t want to spend my whole life there.